Whether its raw or cooked, itís still spinach. How can cooking ADD nutrients to a vegetable? When you cook spinach, you remove most the oxalic acid, and if you cook in water, you lose a substantial amount of water soluble nutrients. BUT, by microwaving the spinach, you keep nearly all of itís nutrients (no loss due to contact with liquid.).

So, Iím confused about what you mean here?

Cooking it does not add nutrients. The nutrients were always there, but in the raw state they are in a form that the human body can not process. Once cooked that changes and your body is able to process it.

Edited to add: That is what I was taught a long time ago. Perhaps I was taught wrong, but I have heard it many times.

Cooking it does not add nutrients. The nutrients were always there, but in the raw state they are in a form that the human body can not process. Once cooked that changes and your body is able to process it.

Edited to add: That is what I was taught a long time ago. Perhaps I was taught wrong, but I have heard it many times.

Cooking it does not add nutrients. The nutrients were always there, but in the raw state they are in a form that the human body can not process. Once cooked that changes and your body is able to process it.

Edited to add: That is what I was taught a long time ago. Perhaps I was taught wrong, but I have heard it many times.

Did some research, and I would imagine itís related to the oxalic acid content, which is poisonous in high doses. Spinach is incredibly rich in oxalic acid. Oxalic acid blocks the absorption of calcium and iron. When you cook spinach in liquid, the oxalic acid leeches out and into the liquid. So, it stands to reason that cooking spinach allows for more absorption of calcium, iron, and other nutrients due to the reduced oxalic content. Makes sense.

However, itís better to blanch the spinach in one pot of liquid, then wash it and continue cooking in another liquid. Oxalic acid turns crystalline when it leeches from the Spinach. Since oxalic acid is evacuated via the kidneys and urine, the crystals can lead to kidney stones, especially to those at risk or prone to them.

However, oxalic acid is good for cleansing the intestinal track, so there are benefits to eating it raw as well.

I must put my two cents worth in. I believe that variety is the spice of life. Yes, I've known people on that raw food diet. I've known those who have taken it to the extreme that they will not drink pasturized milk products. I have made completely vegan meals ... and once told a vegan she was eating something that wasn't vegan (worcestershire sauce, she was shocked since she didn't know). I personally believe it is better to eat a little of everything, not to go to such extremes, unless there is a medical reason for an extreme diet. I try to respect everyone, but on the other hand, when I am hosting a party, I ask those who do have extreme dietary beliefs to make sure they bring a dish they can eat and some to share. But for those who don't cook food, there is always the raw veggie and fruit platters! And, yes, there are vegetables that are better for you if cooked. It makes the nutrients more accessible. Spinach comments, above, crack me up. Haven't you ever noticed after eating cooked spinach your teeth seem cleaner?

Recently I did a juice fast.. no solid food, just drinking light vegetable juices and some fruit juices. I felt terrific and kept it going for two weeks. Then I transitioned back to solid food, sticking with an allergy elimination diet. I didn't feel as good as the juice fast. I started thinking, during the juice fast I was getting tons of raw fruits and veggies. When I was cooking again, I still had a lot of veggies but they were mostly cooked.

So this has got me thinking about the raw food diet.

It makes plenty of sense to me: you heat food, you break down some of the nutrition. So maximzie the nutrition, don't cook it.

I've felt very sick for years, so even if the raw food diet seems like a hassle, it's better than feeling sick.

I believe that you can warm raw foods. I know they use dehydrators on low heat settings to make crusts.

Every week or two I take a day and drink nothing but fruit juice (usually cranberry to get that girl thing going). It is also not unusual, especially in the summer, for hubby and I to have a salad day. I guess the main thing is that I believe in eating just about everything. A raw food day is fine, but I'm against extreme diets of any sort.

Hi friends, I heard that it is not healthy to lose so many pounds per month, So If I loose 10 lbs/month then what can be possibly go wrong with me? Is it life threatening? Or the side effect will remain temporary period? And what is better a diet pill or Fasting for 2-3 days?

there's a lot of variables that would go into an answer to your questions, dinadilo.

first of all, diet pills and fasting are two very bad ways to lose weight.

you should always consume at least 3 healthy meals a day. 5 smaller meals would even be better.

if you fast too long or eat just 1 or 2 large meals a day, your body goes into a protection like mode and will try to store what it needs to survive the hours when there's no food for energy as fat. you're also messing with your blood sugar levels, and would eventually be facing a risk of diabetes. of course, there's another variable of genetics, or epigenetics, which would make some people more inclined to get diseases, but that's another discussion.

as far as losing 10 pounds in a month being healthy or not, it would depend on how much you needed to lose (how much fat you have), and how you lost it.
eating 5 healthy meals and exercising your butt off everyday would be a safe way to lose 10 pounds, if you had it to lose and weren't going below a safe body mass index.

you would have to be careful, though, exercising that much if you do have a lot of weight to lose. it could be a strain on your heart or muscles/skeleton, so there could be detrimental effects form that.

the best thing to do is see a doctor and work up a diet and exercise rigemen.

Hi friends, I want to keep my weight under control so I've started eating better and cutting back on soft drinks but I still have an occasional diet soda. If counting calories is an appropriate way to loose weight then would drink diet cola as it has 0 calories? Also what are some good substitutes for diet cola that don't contain many calories or artificial sweeteners and help in losing weight other than water? Any helpful comments will great appreciate.